A cash grab, or framing the debate?
HOW long does the States require to make a big decision? One could be tempted to cite Parkinson’s Law, the one invented by the father of the current deputy – ‘work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion’.
This Assembly certain subscribes to that approach on a monthly basis. So when we anticipate a shock move to increase income tax in the forthcoming Budget, due out next week, the States should be able to get around to considering it in, say, July?
The problem here is that, can the committee, and indeed, the public, accept such a blunt, or even matter-of-fact approach towards revenue-raising alongside a decision deadline of just a few weeks, with no references to the public consultation and concerted efforts to sell a package of well-constructed and relatively well-argued measures last year, which were ultimately doomed?
One can expect that an income tax rise will come together with some of the junked package of mitigations, including the return of marginal relief and a lower tax rate for lower earners.
But can this committee justify its move and seemingly bullish approach without the associated sales pitch?
Or is this really a calculated gamble and a stalking horse, setting the scene to ensure that public finances becomes THE election issue, and framing that debate to restrict the wriggle room of the next States?